INDUSTRY FOCUS
This month‟s edition features the interview of Mr. Sanit Seebaluck, a young
entrepreneur and director of Saveurs Végétales Ltée, who gladly accepted to share his
challenging journey with our readers. Saveurs Végétales Ltée currently specialises in
frozen snacks and is one of the few SMEs of its genre in the country which has been a
successful exporter.
Give us an insight into Saveurs Végétales Ltée.
Saveurs Végétales Ltée is engaged in food processing and trading
of food items since 2012. We manufacture a variety of frozen
snacks and other related items under our brand „SARIVA‟ but also
under private labels. We are mainly export-oriented and currently
export samosas, spring rolls, samosa pastry, „bonbons piment‟ in minimum volume of a
full 20ft container per order.
What is the product profile of Saveurs Végétales Ltée?
We specialise mainly in the production of quality samosa pastry, samosas, spring rolls,
„bonbons piment‟, „pâté‟, other fritters, mini pizzas and flat breads.
Though we have a range of standardised products, we remain open to customers‟
suggestions and provide appropriate recipes according to their needs, tastes and
specifications. We respect food regulations and abide to standards and norms. Saveurs
Végétales Ltée is HALAL certified and HACCP accredited.
Some Snacks commercialised under Sariva brand
What are the export destinations of Saveurs Végétales Ltée?
We are currently exporting to Reunion Island but following our participations in
International Fairs and Buyers Sellers Meetings (BSM) led by Enterprise Mauritius,
we established contacts with foreign buyers and have acquired orders for exportation
towards France, Australia and the Czech Republic. Negotiations are currently ongoing
with buyers from Germany.
What are the major challenges faced by Saveurs Végétales Ltée?
The business itself was a challenge for me as I ventured into a sector which was totally
new to me. I had to gradually get attuned to the sector.
But the major challenge was to find markets and clients. We created our own brand
“Sariva” and designed an attractive package. We tried a lot to promote it in foreign
markets but buyers preferred to have their private labels and customised packages.
Thus, we had no other choice but to adapt to their specifications.
We also face competition with similar products originating from China and India. Their
competitiveness in price represents a hurdle to our export potential. But our emphasis
on quality and taste remain our vital demarcation from them.
What is the company’s product development strategy?
We carried out a quick market research on countries‟ respective food consumption
habits to determine the type of products we can propose to each market. Following our
findings, we are considering to work on introducing new products such as doughnuts of
different flavours including chocolate, vanilla, strawberry; chocolate and banana
samosa; banana fritters; tuna-based value added products, amongst others.
What are the future development plans of Saveurs Végétales Ltée?
We envisage foraying into European markets, Russia and the Middle East as we want
to attain visibility and find niche markets. We are also exploring opportunities for
regional expansion. We are dedicated to nurturing the growth of the company and aim
to be a leader in the sector.
To enhance our efficiently at meeting orders on a timely basis, we are already
envisaging further investment in increasing our storage capacity. We will have to put up
additional cold rooms, acquire automated equipment and facilities and enhance our
existing infrastructures. We are also pursuing potential certification by the EU.
Where do you see your company in the next ten years?
We are looking forward and trying our level best to industrialise the production of frozen
food/snacks and take our products to wide international recognition. This will not only
boost our domestic export but also generate employment.
We are geared towards building long term collaborations with existing and future clients
and also to consistently work towards providing the best products through innovation.
We continue to explore new markets and aim to ultimately be the leader in the sector
with a good reputation in the food processing industry.
This interview was conducted by Assenjee Najaat, Jhurreea Chaya and Lobind Yevanee. For more
information on the above article, you may contact [email protected].
The company’s head office and factory are located at Wooton, Curepipe.
Contact details are as follows:
SARIVA (Saveurs Végétales Ltée)
(230) 5433 3508
[email protected]